7 Potentially Bad (New Parent) Advice To Avoid

When you’re a first time parent, you know advice will likely come from anyone and everyone. So, how do you know if the advice is really good or okay or just plain bad? Here are some advice (7 to be exact) I took that did not quite turn out as I hoped and recommend you to rethink in case you were given the same:

Should you let your baby cry?

Many people will tell to let your baby cry themselves to sleep. It sounds good in theory, but most of the time babies are crying for a reason, especially if they’re under 6 months of age.

If your baby wants something, their only way to communicate with you is to cry. They might be hungry, need to be changed, or just want a cuddle.

Heed teething advice from others

When your baby is teething, your grandparents might tell you to rub alcohol on their gums. This is something that they did way back in the day, before they knew any better.

Alcohol can be poisonous to babies and there are many other ways to help with the gum pain. Parents can try using cold, wet washcloths or teething toys for the pain.

Consider your sleeping arrangements with your baby

Many other parents will tell you that sleeping with your baby is perfectly safe. It’s always best to consider the risks of co-sleeping when or if you make the decision to do so.

If your baby is in the same bed as you, there is a chance you can roll over on top of them and suffocate them. There is a safer way to keep your baby close by you at night. You can either place a bassinet by the bed or use a co-sleeper that attaches to the bed. Both of these options will provide your baby with the closeness they desire, without the safety hazard.

Monitor screen time

As many busy parents know, there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. This is why some of your well meaning friends will tell you to just let your child watch television, so that you can accomplish something.

Television is okay for a short period of time, maybe 15-20 minutes, but it should not be used as a babysitter. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of two should not be watching television at all and that it should be limited after the age of two.

Consider your disciplinary actions

We all know that hitting is bad, but some people actually believe you should hit your child in order for them to know that it hurts and it is bad.

This type of discipline is counter-intuitive, because you are essentially hitting them while raising them not to hit anyone. It would be better to tell them what they did wrong and give them a time out.

Should you use baby talk?

Many people believe that they need to use smaller words with young children, because they can’t understand the bigger words. Children are smarter than you think they are and they are constantly learning.

If we talk to our babies in the way we normally do, they will learn just that much more. I’m not saying that you can’t use all of those cute baby words, but perhaps just use them in moderation.

Don’t rush into having one baby after another

Some people will tell you that you should have another baby sooner than later, right after you have delivered your first child. There will be many different reasons for this, but my favorite one is because then the baby will have someone to play with. Everyone should only have a baby because they want a baby. Not to provide a playmate or anything else.

Realize that everyone is just trying to help you out in the best way that they know how. Some people giving you the advice may not have children and some people are from a generation where you didn’t worry about certain things or you didn’t know any better. The best thing that you can do with all of the advice you receive is smile and say thank you to the person and then do what you feel is best as the parent.

About the author

Jenny Wong

A mom who has an insatiable desire for learning and experiencing new things. A breastfeeding advocate with a bubbly personality. A loyal friend. Love writing, traveling, shopping, chatting and (mostly) sleeping LOL. Well hey, moms need all the beauty sleep they can get, y'know!

I’m glad my parents raise me very well and teach us not to be too independent with gadgets. And be more engaging with nature and learn that there is real people out there. And i want to pass this along to my future kids.

wow i can certainly tell that parents my age are not being properly warned about not having young children watch tv. my little cousin has been placed in front of the tv, or iPhone to watch mickey mouse cartoons, since he was 6 months

These are all advices that parents with newborn get from others. It can be seen as potentially bad. But I do believe it depend on the Parents style what work for them. Its a choice every parents encounter daily. Eventually you will find what work or not for you .

As parents we’re really just trying to do our best. It’s good to have a nice support system when you’re welcoming your first child but it’s also important to take the lead and not let bad advice rule you out.

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About Author

A mom who has an insatiable desire for learning and experiencing new things. A breastfeeding advocate with a bubbly personality. A loyal friend. Love writing, traveling, shopping, chatting and (mostly) sleeping LOL. Well hey, moms need all the beauty sleep they can get, y'know!